I’ve been thinking so, so, so very much about education and our family’s path. One thing I’m recognizing is the importance in sharing (and documenting) the in-progress. I focus so much, because of our culture I believe, in having things figured out, settled, and done. The educational process is hopefully one of always learning and growing. I am learning alongside my children, and Priscilla has benefited from a three morning a week church preschool during the normal school year. Our plan is to continue with that for now and supplement with year-round homeschooling at home with me.
We’ve landed on A Year of Learning’s A Year of Tales preschool curriculum that I plan to use loosely. I am at this point, grossly intimidated by a formal curriculum and the idea of full-time homeschooling. Biting off more than I can chew is one of my perhaps toxic traits, and I plan to share the hills and valleys of this journey with you. I am better able to bite off the idea of seeing our curriculum as skeleton and adding in pieces (like books, art, field trips) that feel personalized to our family. I’ve just begun to contemplate what specifically do my children (mostly Priscilla) need to thrive and what our family’s educational philosophy ought to be. I plan to write that out at some point, but I’m sort of hitting the ground running right now.
{These name chalkboards have been Christmas gifts to the kids and I adore them, the shop is under new ownership so I hope they begin selling them again. Sun prints hang off a row of pegs that used to be screws. I love the contrast of wood and white.}
Homeschooling continues to show up in obvious ways that feel serendipitous. I usually experience the Holy Spirit working in repetition, until I’m knocked over the head. He is patient with me. My reservations about homeschooling aren’t unique I’ve come to learn as I’ve shared with other friends who are full-time homeschoolers:
- Would I truly be giving my children all that they need to leave our home someday and exist and thrive in the world? I know I can impart beauty and learning upon them, but what if I forget subjects or fail to do deep dives into certain areas and they end up lacking?
- I recently heard that ninety percent of children in this country attend their local public schools. This means by homeschooling I would be placing my children in the minority educationally. As a child, I desperately craved normal. Part of why I transferred from Sarah Lawrence to finish undergrad at the U of MN was my desire for a “normal” educational experience at a big ten, with a giant campus, and Greek life. I somehow felt slightly cheated of that after attended an all-girls’ Catholic high school. Normal isn’t best, but it does warrant looking at, I think.
- How can I handle being with my small children for that long? The idea of a quiet house between the hours of 8-4 is so deliciously enticing.
My pro’s list is longer, more personalized to our family, so I won’t be diving into that now, but its length alone gives me pause. We truly love the idea of Catholic schools for many reasons. Yet, I am pulled so clearly in this direction. Where does that leave us? We are here now as a hybrid family, and I believe we’ll make a firmer decision in two years when Priscilla begins kinder as a newly six-year-old.
On to the rest of the tour of our space…
{So many of these items were tucked away, and they are truly so beautiful to me so I thought– why not get them out so I can see them? I like the idea of ‘shopping’ these shelves as we plan our weekly lessons. The drawers below are filled with paper and art supplies, easy to grab items at their level. The rest are filled with other odds and ends not related to homeschooling}
{These Pip & J Papery alphabet cards were the first homeschooling item I received and they’re still here after so much use over the past two years. Only one has a bite mark on it. I call that a success. | The kids keep finding these walnuts in the yard, Priscilla painted one this week.}
{Over the years my dad has gifted the kids some lovely, living books. Their illustrations are so captivating. I love using them!}
{After lamenting about the complicated nature of the special homeschool planner I purchased I found an inexpensive, simple monthly calendar at Target I think I’ll get a ton of use out of. Our curriculum sits in that wooden box and to the right is our Morning Basket.}
{Sun Printing is one of my most favorite activities I’ve done with the kids so far, I absolutely love how they turned out.}
Thank you for joining me on this journey as I muddle my way through…
